It's not how you fast, it's how you run that matters.

Isaiah 58

“Cry loudly, do not hold back;
Raise your voice like a trumpet,
And declare to My people their transgression
And to the house of Jacob their sins.
² “Yet they seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways,
As a nation that has done righteousness
And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God.
They ask Me for just decisions,
They delight in the nearness of God.
³ ‘Why have we fasted and You do not see?
Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’
Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire,
And drive hard all your workers.
⁴ “Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist.
You do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high.
⁵ “Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it for bowing one’s head like a reed
And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed?
Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the Lord?
⁶ “Is this not the fast which I choose,
To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the bands of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
⁷ “Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
⁸ “Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
⁹ “Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you remove the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,
¹⁰ And if you give yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness
And your gloom will become like midday.
¹¹ “And the Lord will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
¹² “Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will raise up the age-old foundations;
And you will be called the repairer of the breach,
The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.

I haven't been able to get this passage out of my mind since it was in the One Year Bible daily readings a while ago. Fasting and prayer are often linked together. There is an extra measure of spiritual focus that we can attain through the practice of fasting. There are good reasons to fast and it can have tremendous spiritual impact.

As I read and have reread this passage though I can't help but to think how our fasting might look to God. We think we have done a good thing in God's sight when we skip a few meals or give up an indulgance from our lives. While we skip that meal much of the world goes to bed hungry every night. We skip that indulgance or some form of entertainment while many people long for a place to sleep, clean water to wash and to drink.

We make our mistake if we think through our fasting we will gain God's attention and approval. He say's through Isaiah that He would prefer we just do what is right and compassionate rather than what we think is righteous. I am not saying we should never fast. Fasting is a spiritual discipline that was practiced throughout scripture and even by Jesus Himself. We need to know and understand though what fasting is and what it isn't. Fasting is not a way for us to get God's approval or His attention. In Romans 12 Paul lays out what should be our normal level of sacrifice.

Romans 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. 

If that is the normal level we are called to, then our fasting is really nothing in God's sight. Why then would we or should we fast? The purpose of our fast must always be to draw nearer to God. It's not what we give up that has any significance, it's what we do with the extra time. A fast should focus on time with God not what we do without. As a result of a true fast, having spent time in God's presence listening to Him, getting to know His heart we are changed. We become less self aware and more aware of those around us and how God wants to meet them and their needs.

Fasting like prayer will change things. The first and foremost thing that will be changed through fasting and prayer is the thing that needs to change the most, our self. Let's not diminish though the true results God says He wants to accomplish through our fast.

“Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke? ... “Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. 

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, I come to you today not to bend Your will but to bend my will to You .  Thank You for the awesome priviledge You give us to join You in Your work. Today Lord I desire to know You more, to know Your heart and desires for the people around me. To join You in breaking yokes and bonds of wickedness and freeing those who are oppressed. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.